John II of Cyprus

Who was John II of Cyprus?

John II or III of Cyprus was the King of Cyprus and Armenia and also titular King of Jerusalem from 1432 to 1458. He was previously a Titular Prince of Antioch. In May, 1435/1440 he married Aimee or Amadea Palaiologina of Monferrato, Queen of Cyprus, Titular Queen of Jerusalem and Armenia, daughter of John Jacob, Marquess of Montferrat, without issue. His second wife, a distant relative of his first one, married in Nicosia, 1441 or February 3, 1442 was Helena Palaiologina, only child and daughter of Theodore II Palaeologus, Despot of Morea and his wife Cleofa Malatesta. Theodore was a son of Eastern Roman Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus and Helena Dragaš and the brother of the last two Eastern Roman Emperor, John VIII Palaeologus and Constantine XI Palaeologus. By his second marriage he had two daughters:

Charlotte of Lusignan

Cleopha of Lusignan, died young

Upon the death of John II, his only surviving legitimate child Charlotte succeeded to the throne. During his rule, Corycus, only Cypriot stronghold at Anatolia was lost to Karamanlis in 1448.

John had an illegitimate son by Marietta de Patras, James, whom he appointed Archbishopic of Nicosia at the young age of 16.